LBJ woes (broken bolts)

Beautiful weekend for some truck work. What I thought would be a quick job is turning into a nightmare.

Any advice would be amazing.

While removing the LBJ's from my 04, 7/8 bolts broke at the bolt head while one sheared in the steering knuckle. Trying to get the truck (and only vehicle) back on the road for a two weeks trip starting next weekend.

Has anyone had luck with drilling and rethreading the steering knuckle? I have two new oem lbjs and oem bolts sitting on my bench waiting. Or would it be easier to get a Dorman or OEM steering knuckle (cough holy smokes they're expensive). There are a few junkyards around that have 4runners and Tacomas. If I have ABS and ADD, what years 4runners would be the same to swap knuckles?

I've tried vice grips and 2 bolt method and no luck (with alot of PB and heat). Don't have access to a welder and even if I did, I'm afraid that the bolts will just break again. The bolt heads came off with very little effort.

Thanks all

 

Got pics? With the missing heads can you at least pry the lbj off the knuckle?

I find that a few repeated applications of pb blaster followed by sitting at least over night tends to make things come apart easier.

 

I've used half a can and two nights. They haven't budged at all. Broke a set of vicegrips trying and heated till it was smoking hot.

These are the original LBJs from a Maine truck. Half of its new and shiny the other half is like these bolts.

 

Just thread a nut on the end and be on your way.


I would probably try to drill them out, and then when I screwed them up, i would find new(er) ones.

 

I tried the two bolt method and ended up destroying the threads of both the bolt and nuts. Never seen anything like it. The threads are super soft. I have a M10 1.25 tap and decent drill bits. Just worried about the ones that are in the steering knuckle body and not the tabs.

Anyone every try the deep bolt extractors but on studs instead? Any luck?

 

The key is going to be clamping it down really solidly so you can drill it. Even then, I dunno. Sounds like those bolts are one with the knuckle.

My only other thought would be repeated heating and cooling along with lots of light tapping with a hammer.

 

One with the knuckle is right!

 

I just did mine last weekend. It went so smooth. Literally zero surprises. Here is one of the bolts I took out:



Okay, I'm done gloating. For now.

 

Hah, that's amazing. Thought this was going to take me half a day, but the rust devil strikes again!

 

I have had good luck with these Lisle stud extractors. Most auto parts stores have them.

https://www.lislecorp.com/specialty-tools/stuck-bolt-nut-and-stud-remover-set

 

Have they been good for rusted studs?

 

you can drill and tap. just make sure you dont take too much metal away. theyre important bolts obviously.
as for replacement spindles 00-04 tundras, 96-02 4runners and obviously the tacos with ADD

mind you backing plates will be different though especially on the tundras

 

other option here is to remove the axle and try and tighten them up higher, wire wheel the threads and try to back them out.

 

My issue was that I didn't pay attention to the length of the bolts, and tried putting the short bolts where the long ones are supposed to go. Stripped the first thread or two of the spindle.

I freaked for a second, then went to Ace Hardware and got a tap of the correct size and cleaned the threads, and figured out I could run slightly longer bolts because the hole in the spindle was deep enough. Got the bolts at Ace Hardware, too. All grade 10.9 hardware, btw...

If that didn't work I was going to attempt a helicoil, but I was hesitant to do that on something that is so structural. Luckily, just cleaning the treads up with a tap and using a slightly longer bolt did the trick.

 

The bolts that were sent to me by gunny were all the same length. Not sure about that ones that came out because..well... they haven't!

Do you remember what tap you got? Was it the M10x1.25?

 

Yes, at work I've used them half a dozen times to extract rusty broken exhaust manifold and turbo mounting studs.

 

You should be heating until the area around the bolt turns orange, not just "smoking hot". If you are just using a propane torch, I understand then, it won't have enough heat to get it orange and probably wont help with getting them out. That arm is a giant heat sink.

But if you do have a MIG welder and oxy/acet torch, screw a nut on but not all the way. Weld inside the cup left from not screwing it all the way down. Looks like you even have enough room to maybe tack it across the opposite end of the nut too. Let it cool after welding since it will expand the bolt from the heat. Then, heat around the area (arm, not the bolt) until glowing orange, and it'll come out. Use an impact if you have one with some decent torque capability.

If no welder but do have oxy/acet torch, use the vise grips again. Probably need some form of cheater bar of some sort. I've used my foot to push with when a cheater is not going to work.

If you have neither, I'd try the extractors first. Last resort, I'd cut them off flush, punch mark then drill a small pilot hole first, then drill them out

Edit: BTW, I am thinking somebody put some low grade bolts in there. Mine were super rusted, like everything under my truck, and they all came out without heat.

 

Either low grade bolts or the wrong color (red) loctite. High heat would take care of both of those though like you said.

 

Heating it up until it starts smoking aint gonna do it. Heat it up until that sucker turns blue. I see stuff like this a lot at work. Usually takes a lot of heat, patience, and cursing.

 

As others have said, on the ones that are protruding weld a nut on them and continue heating until cherry red then give it a go.

I had the same issue but half of mine broke off in the knuckle. I ended up rigging a setup on a mill and very carefully drilling out directly through the center, picking the rest of the bolt threads out, and retapping to clean up. Be careful if you do this, if you get off-center you’re going to have other problems.